Hockey Trade Rumors – Sunday Feb 20, 2011 – Update #2

Toronto does not have interest in Souray Thomas Kaberle Potentially Willing to Stay in Boston

Stephen Weiss Continues To Be A Hot Name In Trade Rumors

Avs winger Milan Hejduk – Does he want to be moved?

The NHL trading deadline is Feb. 28, and although Hejduk has a no-trade clause in his contract with the Avalanche, it’s likely playoff-bound teams will at least inquire about his availability. For significant stretches of the season, the 35-year-old winger has been Colorado’s top player, and the 2003 winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league’s leading goal-scorer is far from washed up.

Hejduk is playing under a one-year, $3 million contract, so it’s even conceivable that he could go to another team for the stretch run and postseason, then re-sign with Colorado after July 1. Of course, that raises the issue of whether cost-conscious Colorado would want him back as a big-ticket item, even while the Avs also face the challenge of staying above the NHL’s salary cap floor.

There are precedents for short-term rentals and returns. Doug Weight went from St. Louis to Carolina in 2006 in time to play for a Stanley Cup champion, and Keith Tkachuk went from St. Louis to Atlanta in 2007. Both rejoined the Blues in the offseason.

So I put the question to Hejduk late last week: Would he consider waiving his no-trade clause to go to another team?

“That’s an interesting question,” Hejduk said. “I haven’t thought about it yet. We’ll see what’s going to come in the next whatever it is. . . . I’ve played all my career here, and I would like it to stay that way. We’ll see.”

Then I brought up the Weight and Tkachuk scenarios.

“I’m not a big fan of this renting a player for a little bit, and then he comes back,” Hejduk said. “It’s kind of cheesy.”

Given that the Bruins gave up quite a lot to bring Thomas Kaberle to the TD Garden, making sure he stays in Boston past this season is likely a high priority.

According to CSN, the 2011 unrestricted free agent may be willing to do so, but nothing will happen until the end of the campaign.

“I’ve had some brief conversations with [his agent] Rich Curran, his agent, and nothing is forthcoming and nothing will be forthcoming until after the season. But I’ve had a good history with Rick [Curran] and Orr Hockey Group and we’ve had a good history. I think it would be smooth sailing to sign him when it comes to that time. So it’s an important part of this deal because we are giving up significant assets,” said Peter Chiarelli.

Next to Bryan McCabe, Stephen Weiss is probably the most attractive trade asset the Florida Panthers have. And while there aren’t teams banging down the door to get him like with Jay Bouwmeester a couple of years ago, he still has value as a top six center.

Both the Miami Herald and Sun-Sentinel in South Florida wrote about Weiss today and playing with trade rumors circling around him. Both papers named a number of teams who would be interested in acquiring Weiss including Pittsburgh, Washington, Montreal and Calgary.

Of course, it will all depend on what kind of interest he garners from other teams that will decide whether or not he’ll stay. Weiss seems like he wants to stay and the Panthers will eventually have to do something in terms of making a gesture to the fan base that they want to win.

I would rather be paying a D man like Ehroff that type of money instead of Pitkanen.Also there is no way Burke would trade Kessel for just Schenn and Simmonds, a team needs a go to sniper and we wouldn't have one without Kessel.